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Showing 16201 - 16250Expert Point of View: Sagar Lonial, MD
At an educational session at the 2015 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Sagar Lonial, MD, of Emory University, Atlanta, elaborated upon this topic. The pooled analysis of daratumumab (Darzalex) monotherapy, he said, “demonstrated significant activity and, not only this,...
New Study Suggests Benefits of Regular Mammography Extend to the Elderly
Breast cancer afflicts 1 in 8 women in their lifetime, and 1 in 25 die from this disease. Although a number of randomized trials have demonstrated the clear benefits of mammography screening in women up to age 74 on reducing mortality, data are sparse in women over age 74, especially among...
American Psychosocial Oncology Society Endorses Psychosocial Standards of Care for Children With Cancer and Their Families
The American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) has endorsed the “Psychosocial Standards of Care for Children with Cancer and Their Families” published in a December 2015 special supplement to Pediatric Blood and Cancer. The scientific, evidence-based psychosocial standards...
Tumor Tissue Specimens and Associated Analyses Appear to Be a Significant Barrier to Clinical Trial Enrollment
The requirement for tumor tissue specimens and associated analyses in order to participate in clinical trials appears to be a significant barrier to clinical trial enrollment and may delay treatment. Potential solutions to reducing or eliminating these barriers include routine tissue banking at...
DNA Repair Enzyme Identified as a Potential Brain Cancer Drug Target
Rapidly dividing cells rely on an enzyme called Dicer to help them repair the DNA damage that occurs as they make mistakes in copying their genetic material over and over for new cells. Researchers have built on the discovery of Dicer’s role in fixing DNA damage to uncover a new potential...
Gene Thought to Suppress Cancer May Actually Promote Spread of Colorectal Cancer
A gene that is known to suppress the growth and spread of many types of cancer has the opposite effect in some forms of colorectal cancer, University of Missouri (MU) School of Medicine researchers have found. It is a finding that may lay the foundation for new colorectal cancer treatments. Results ...
Travel Distance Is Still a Barrier to Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy
Long travel distances continue to be a significant obstacle to breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer, according to a study published by Abornoz et al in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “While greater patient awareness and insurance coverage have contributed to greater...
Even Before Affordable Care Act, Cancer Survivors in Nonexpansion States Had Less Health-Care Access
An analysis published by Tarazi et al in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship found that even in the health-care landscape before the Affordable Care Act, cancer survivors in states that had already expanded Medicaid coverage prior to passage of the Act had more access to health care than cancer...
More Than One-Third of Patients With Metastatic Cancer Continue to Work
A new analysis indicated that many patients continue working after being diagnosed with metastatic cancer, but a heavy burden of symptoms may prevent them from doing so. Published by Tevaarwerk et al in Cancer, the study illustrates the need to treat difficult symptoms so that patients can maintain ...
ESMO Asia 2015: Results From the KEYNOTE-010 Trial Show Pembrolizumab Benefit in Patients With NSCLC
More patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) could benefit from pembrolizumab (Keytruda), said Roy Herbst, MD, PhD, Chief of Medical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven. Dr. Herbst presented promising results from the pivotal phase...
ESMO Asia 2015: Cancer Drives Patients to Poverty in Southeast Asia
Five percent of cancer patients and their families were pushed into poverty in Southeast Asia between March 2012 and September 2013 because of high disease-related costs, a study (Abstract 52O) by Bhoo-Pathy et al at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia 2015 Congress in Singapore...
ESMO Asia 2015: Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy Provide New Options for Difficult-to-Treat Head and Neck Cancer
Novel strategies are being explored for difficult-to-treat and advanced head and neck cancer—the most heterogeneous group of malignancies that are generally associated with poor survival—and encouraging results have been presented in two trials at the first European Society for Medical...
ESMO Asia 2015: Afatinib a Better Choice for EGFR-Mutated Lung Cancer in First-Line Treatment
Patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-activating mutations in advanced lung cancer seem to benefit more from afatinib (Gilotrif) than gefitinib (Iressa) as first-line treatment, Park et al reported in a study (Abstract LBA2) presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology...
FDA Expands Pembrolizumab Label to Include Approval in Initial Treatment of Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma
On December 18, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the pembrolizumab (Keytruda) label to include approval of the drug for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This expansion now includes the initial treatment of patients with unresectable or...
Follow-up Times for Colorectal Cancer Screening Abnormalities Lag Behind Others
Follow-up times of abnormal screening exams were shorter for breast cancer than they were for colorectal and cervical cancers, according to a recent study involving more than 1 million individuals who underwent these screenings. Recently published by Tosteson et al in the Journal of General...
Mental Health Status Prior to Radical Cystectomy Can Indicate Risk of Complications
A patient's mental health prior to surgery can influence postoperative outcomes. Removal of the bladder, or radical cystectomy, is an effective treatment for locally advanced bladder cancer, but complications occur in as many as 66% of patients. In a study published by Sharma et al in The Journal...
Fractionated Stereotactic Radiation More Effective Than Single-Dose Radiation in Pituitary Tumors
A recent study at Houston Methodist Hospital proved that multiple small doses of highly focused radiation therapy is safer and more effective than a single larger dose of radiation at destroying pituitary gland tumors. The findings on the use of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy were published ...
Higher BMI Associated With Increased Risk of Breast Cancer–Related Lymphedema
Each year, about 1.38 million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer. Advances in treatment have facilitated a 90% 5-year survival rate among those treated. Given the increased rate and length of survival following breast cancer, more and more survivors are facing a lifetime risk of...
Bruce E. Johnson, MD, FASCO, Elected ASCO President for 2017–2018 Term
Bruce E. Johnson, MD, FASCO, has been elected President of ASCO for the term beginning in June 2017. He will take office as President-Elect during the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago in June 2016. Additionally, four new members were elected to the ASCO Board of Directors, as well as three new...
Access to Minimally Invasive Hysterectomies in Early Uterine Cancer Remains Persistently Limited
A new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers shows wide racial and economic disparities in access to minimally invasive hysterectomies for early uterine cancer in the United States. This is despite years of accumulating evidence that the procedures to remove the uterus are linked to fewer...
New ‘Condensed’ Grading System Shown to Be Accurate for Predicting Prostate Cancer Outcomes
Using information gleaned from more than 20,000 men, researchers at Johns Hopkins have affirmed the value of their alternative system for assessing the likelihood of growth and spread of prostate cancer. The new grading system, they said, is not only easier to use and understand, but also more...
Patients With Thyroid Cancer Report Poor Quality of Life Despite ‘Good’ Diagnosis
Thyroid cancer survivors report poor quality of life after diagnosis and treatment compared with other patients who are diagnosed with more lethal cancers, according to new research from the University of Chicago Medicine. The findings, published by Aschebrook-Kilfoy et al in the journal Thyroid,...
Preoperative Use of Blood-Thinning Drugs Is Safe for Patients With Cancer
Among patients undergoing major cancer operations, the preoperative use of blood-thinning drugs such as heparin does not increase rates of major bleeding or transfusions, and is associated with a decreased risk of blood clots, according to new study results published by Selby et al in the Journal...
HDAC Inhibitors May Help Prevent Cisplatin-Based Kidney Damage
A class of drugs used increasingly to help fight cancer may have the additional benefit of protecting the kidneys when packaged with the powerful chemotherapy agent cisplatin. These findings were published by Ranganathan et al in Kidney International. The nearly 40-year-old cisplatin can be a...
FDA Allows Marketing of Cooling Cap to Reduce Hair Loss During Chemotherapy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the first cooling cap to reduce hair loss in female breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy for marketing in the United States. Hair loss is a common side effect of certain types of chemotherapy, commonly associated with the treatment of...
Colorectal Cancer Risk Varies Based on Latino Subgroup Affiliation
In the first study of its kind, University of Southern California (USC) researchers have found that colorectal cancer risk in Californian Latinos varies widely depending on the country of origin. Their study was published by Stern et al in Cancer Causes & Control. “Hispanics are a very...
FDA Approves Alectinib for Advanced ALK-Positive NSCLC
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today granted accelerated approval to alectinib (Alecensa) for the treatment of patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have had disease progression on or are intolerant to crizotinib (Xalkori). ...
FDA Approves Uridine Triacetate for Emergency Treatment of Fluorouracil or Capecitabine Overdose
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved uridine triacetate (Vistogard) for the emergency treatment of adults and children who receive an overdose of the cancer treatment fluorouracil (5-FU) or capecitabine, or who develop certain severe or life-threatening toxicities within...
SABCS 2015: Phase III BELLE-2 Trial Meets Primary Endpoint of Progression-Free Survival
Among women with locally advanced or metastatic hormone receptor–positive breast cancer that was resistant to hormone therapy, those who had mutated PIK3CA detected in their blood benefited from a combination of the investigational PI3K inhibitor buparlisib and fulvestrant (Faslodex),...
SABCS 2015: Resistance of Estrogen Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer to Tamoxifen Therapy May Be Driven by APOBEC3B
Responses to tamoxifen were significantly prolonged by reducing levels of the enzyme APOBEC3B in preclinical models of estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer and significantly shortened by increasing levels of APOBEC3B, suggesting that APOBEC3B drives resistance to tamoxifen, according to...
SABCS 2015: Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine Improved Overall Survival for Heavily Pretreated Patients With HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Among patients with HER2-positive, metastatic breast cancer that had progressed despite treatment with two or more forms of HER2-targeted therapy (trastuzumab [Herceptin] and lapatinib [Tykerb]), median overall survival was increased for those treated with ado-trastuzumab emtansine (aka T-DM1...
SABCS 2015: No Significant Difference in Recurrence Rates Among Women With Ductal Carcinoma in Situ Taking Anastrozole or Tamoxifen
Postmenopausal women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) had similar outcomes with disease recurrence whether they took tamoxifen or the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole for 5 years after surgery, but women in the two groups had different side effects, according to results from the phase III...
Repeating Abnormal PSA Tests Reduces Number of Unnecessary Biopsies
For more than 20 years, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test has been used to help screen for prostate cancer. However, in recent years, some task forces have called for this blood test to be abandoned because it leads to many unnecessary biopsies. Now, a new study from The Ottawa Hospital and...
SABCS 2015: Patients With Ductal Carcinoma in Situ Receiving Anastrozole Reported Symptoms Different From Those in Patients Receiving Tamoxifen
Analysis of patient-reported outcomes, a secondary endpoint of the phase III NSABP B-35 clinical trial, in which anastrozole and tamoxifen were compared in postmenopausal women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who underwent lumpectomy plus radiotherapy, found that there were no differences in...
SABCS 2015: Pathologic Complete Response to Presurgery Chemotherapy Improves Survival for Patients With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Patients with stage II or stage III triple-negative breast cancer who had a pathologic complete response (pCR) after presurgery chemotherapy had increased event-free and overall survival compared with those who had more than minimal residual invasive disease at surgery following presurgery...
SABCS 2015: Mastectomy Plus Reconstruction Has Higher Complication Rates and Costs Than Lumpectomy Plus Radiation
Among the various guideline-concordant local therapy options available for women with early-stage breast cancer in the United States, mastectomy plus reconstruction had the highest complication rates and complication-related costs for both younger women with private insurance and older women on...
SABCS 2015: Women With Luminal A Breast Cancer Did Not Benefit From Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Phase III Trial
Premenopausal women whose invasive breast cancers were of the luminal A subtype had comparable 10-year disease-free survival rates, regardless of whether or not they received adjuvant chemotherapy, according to data from the phase III Dutch Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG77B) clinical trial...
SABCS 2015: Capecitabine Improved Outcomes for Breast Cancer Patients With Residual Disease After Presurgery Chemotherapy
Treatment with the chemotherapy agent capecitabine increased disease-free survival for women with HER2-negative breast cancer that was not eliminated by presurgery chemotherapy, according to results from the phase III CREATE-X clinical trial presented at the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer...
SABCS 2015: Denosumab Improves Disease-Free Survival for Postmenopausal Patients With Hormone Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer
Adding denosumab (Xgeva) to adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy improved disease-free survival for postmenopausal patients with early-stage, hormone receptor–positive breast cancer, according to results from the phase III ABCSG-18 clinical trial presented at the 2015 San Antonio Breast...
Patient Symptom Surveys Linked to Reduced ER Visits, Improved Survival and Quality of Life
Systematic collection of cancer patients’ symptoms using computer surveys was linked to less frequent emergency room admissions, longer average chemotherapy adherence, greater quality-of-life improvements, and improved survival, according to a new randomized, controlled trial spearheaded by a ...
ASH 2015: Multiple Myeloma Patient Study Shows Promise for Natural Killer Cells
A first-in-human phase I study of multiple myeloma patients combined expanded cord blood-derived natural killer cells with transplantation of a patient’s own stem cells and high-dose chemotherapy, with little or none of the side effects seen with current treatments. Results from the clinical...
ASH 2015: Updated Results of the Phase I/II GEN503 Study of Daratumumab in Multiple Myeloma
In a study update presented by Plesner et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, daratumumab (Darzalex) was shown to be safe and effective in combination with lenalidomide (Revlimid) and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (Abstract 507). ...
ASH 2015: Young Adults With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Have Encouraging Survival With Pediatric Chemotherapy Regimen
Using a pediatric chemotherapy regimen to treat young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) significantly improved their outcomes compared to what has historically been achieved with “adult” treatment protocols, report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists. Overall survival...
ASH 2015: High Response Rates, Long-Term Remissions in Relapsed/Refractory Pediatric ALL, Lymphomas After CTL019 Immunotherapy
Ninety-three percent of pediatric patients (55 of 59) with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) went into remission after receiving an investigational therapy made from their own immune cells, with continuous remissions of over 1 year in 18 patients and over 2 years in nine...
Depressed Head and Neck Cancer Patients 3.5 Times Less Likely to Survive, Have Higher Recurrence Risk
Depression is a significant predictor of 5-year survival and recurrence in head and neck cancer patients, according to a new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. These findings, published by Shinn et al in Psychosomatic Medicine, represent one of the largest reported...
ASH 2015: Updated Results of Phase III Tourmaline-MM1 Study of Ixazomib in Multiple Myeloma
In a study presented by Moureau et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, ixazomib (Ninlaro), a recently approved oral proteasome inhibitor, significantly extended progression-free survival for patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (Abstract 727)....
ASH 2015: Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Benefit From Prophylactic Antibiotics During Induction Chemotherapy
Prophylactic antibiotics significantly reduce the risk of serious bacterial infections in children during the critical first month of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer, according to a study led by investigators from Dana-Farber/Boston Children's...
ASH 2015: Ibrutinib Data Underscore Promise of Targeted Therapies as First-Line Approach for Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
A presentation by Tedeschi et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting outlined results of the phase III RESONATE TM-2 study of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) vs chlorambucil (Leukeran) in patients aged 65 years and older with treatment-naive chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small...
ASH 2015: Combination Therapy With Idelalisib Improves Progression-Free Survival vs Bendamustine/Rituximab Alone in Relapsed/Refractory CLL
In a phase III study to be presented by Zelenetz et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, idelalisib (Zydelig) plus bendamustine (Treanda) and rituximab (Rituxan), or BR, proved superior to BR alone in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)...
ASH 2015: Venetoclax Shows Promise for Ultra–High-Risk Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia With 17p Deletion
In a study to be presented at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting by Stilgenbauer et al, monotherapy with the investigational agent venetoclax (ABT-199/GDC-0199) induced deep remissions—including complete remission and undetectable minimal residual...
